History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E7TheInitiative

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* VillainousValour: There was some debate among the writers as to how heroic to make Spike in his escape from the Initiative. To avoid making him too heroic, Spike is given a KickTheDog moment by sacrificing a fellow vampire to save himself.

* LockDown: After clocking Spike, Willow tries to run out of her dorm only to find the door is locked, the Initiative having locked down the entire frat house remotely.

* YouGotSpunk
-->'''Buffy:''' You know for someone who teaches human behavior, you might try showing some.\\
'''Prof. Walsh:''' It's not my job to coddle my students.\\
'''Buffy:''' You're right. A human being in pain has nothing to do with your job. ''[walks away]''\\
'''Prof. Walsh:''' ''[to Riley]'' I like her.

* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: Spike attempts to eat Willow, but unbeknownst to him he's been newly outfitted with a RestrainingBolt and can't bite her. As she's having self-esteem issues after her boyfriend Oz left, Willow is very upset and thinks there must be something wrong with her. She does come to her senses very quickly, wacks him with a lamp and legs it.

* ArmorPiercingSlap: Harmony greeting Spike.

** Spike's comment about Nazis isn't a casual quip. The ''Series/{{Angel}}'' episode "[[Recap/AngelS05E13WhyWeFight Why We Fight]]" shows he was kidnapped by Nazis during World War 2 for their own experiments. That episode also mentions the "Demon Research Initiative", implied to be a precursor of the current organization.
** Spike assumes Buffy is in cahoots with the Initiative, but then sees Buffy fighting the soldiers. In the next episode, having run out of options, Spike will go to Buffy for protection, offering information on the Initiative in exchange.

-->'''Forrest:''' Oh... Check her out. Is she hot, or is she hot?
-->'''Riley:''' ''[looks up]'' She's Buffy.
-->'''Forrest:''' Buffy? I like that. That girl's so hot, she's buffy.
-->'''Riley:''' It's her name, Forrest.

* CatFight: {{Parodied}} with possibly the only cat fight in the series, between [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain Vampire]] [[DumbBlonde Harmony]] and [[NonActionGuy Xander]] -- at the time the only male member of the group (other than [[MentorArchetype Giles]]). The fight, in classic cat fight fashion, begins with a bitchslap and continues into shin kicking, name calling, and hair pulling. It finally ends in a stalemate and an agreement never to mention it to anyone.

-->'''Spike:''' I don't care how brilliant [Buffy] is!
-->'''Buffy:''' ''[struggling with a ballpoint]'' Stupid pen.

** Spike's comment about Nazis isn't a casual quip. The ''Series/{{Angel}}'' episode "[[Recap/AngelS05E13WhyWeFight Why We Fight]]" shows he was kidnapped by Nazis during World War 2 for their own experiments. That episode also mentions the "Demon Research Initiative", implied to be a precursor of the current organisation.

-->'''Spike''' I don't care how brilliant she is.
-->''(cut to Buffy in a lecture with ink all over her hands)''
-->'''Buffy''': Stupid pen.

-->'''Willow:''' Have fun! And remember, if you hurt her, I'll beat you to death with a shovel.
-->'''Riley:''' ''[pulls questioning face]''
-->'''Willow:''' ''[matter-of-fact-ly]'' A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend.

* PowerPerversionPotential: Parker is crudely appreciative of Buffy's stamina. He's not the only one (see S4 [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E16WhoAreYou "Who Are You?"]] and S6 [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E15AsYouWere "As You Were"]]) to imply that her Slayer powers result in exceptional bedroom prowess.

-->'''Riley:''' He--he was just being so crude.
-->'''Forrest:''' Please. You've heard me say much grosser things than that.
-->'''Riley:''' And most of those are about your own mother. ''[Forrest {{Dope Slap}}s him]''

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: After one of the strongest allusions to rape in the series we get the famous '[[TheLoinsSleepTonight performance anxiety]]' scene.
-->'''Spike:''' I don't understand. This sort of thing's never happened to me before.\\
'''Willow:''' Maybe you were nervous.\\
'''Spike:''' I felt all right when I started. Let's try again. ''[He tries to bite Willow, but he can't do it.]''\\
'''Spike:''' Damn it!\\
'''Willow:''' Maybe you're trying too hard. Doesn't this happen to every vampire?\\
'''Spike:''' Not to me, it doesn't!\\
'''Willow:''' It's me, isn't it?\\
'''Spike:''' What are you talking about?\\
'''Willow:''' Well, you came looking for Buffy, then settled. You didn't want to bite me, I just happened to be around.\\
'''Spike:''' Piffle.\\
'''Willow:''' I know I'm not the kind of girl vamps like to sink their teeth into. It's always like, "Oh, you're [[LikeBrotherAndSister like a sister to me]]," or, "[[IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship Oh, you're such a good friend]]."\\
'''Spike:''' Don't be ridiculous. I'd bite you in a heartbeat.\\
'''Willow:''' Really?\\
'''Spike:''' Thought about it.\\
'''Willow:''' When?\\
'''Spike:''' [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E8LoversWalk Remember last year?]] You had on that [[SweaterGirl fuzzy pink number]] with the lilac underneath. ''[[[VampiresAreSexGods gives her a sexy look]]]''\\
'''Willow:''' I never would have guessed. You played the bloodlust kinda cool.\\
'''Spike:''' Mmmm. I hate being obvious. Being all fangy and 'Rrrr.' Takes the mystery out.\\
'''Willow:''' But if you could...\\
'''Spike:''' If I could, yeah.\\
'''Willow:''' You know, this doesn't make you any less terrifying.\\
'''Spike:''' Don't patronize me! ''[paces around the room]'' I'm only 126!\\
'''Willow:''' You're being too hard on yourself. Why don't we wait a half an hour and try again?